Fabio Quartararo and Alex Rins, both Yamaha MotoGP riders, have expressed their concerns about their ability to finish the Qatar Grand Prix. This is worrisome not only because both riders share the sentiment, but also because it seems impossible for Yamaha to salvage their performance in the race. Both Quartararo and Rins were not surprised to miss the cut in Q1, as pre-season testing revealed that Yamaha has not addressed the weaknesses of their M1 bike. Despite an improvement in top speed, the pair struggled in the sprint race, finishing in 12th and 17th place due to grid position and unexpected tire degradation issues. Quartararo’s final lap time was 1m54.3s, one second behind the leaders, while Rins’ was 1m55.6s. Quartararo admitted that he did not expect a better position, as their pace during testing and the weekend was consistent. However, the drop in performance during the sprint race was concerning, especially because the same tire will be used in the main race. Yamaha is perplexed by what went wrong, as their race pace seemed fine during testing. Quartararo emphasized that the drop they experienced during the sprint race was unprecedented and not something they had ever encountered before. Rins shared the same concerns, attributing the issue to the handling of the Yamaha M1 and the need to manage the rear tire carefully. He noticed that other teams were stronger in fast corners, while he struggled with the change of direction, putting more strain on the rear tire. Both riders are worried about the tire degradation and its impact on the longer main race.
Hamilton is set to join Ferrari, and Mercedes' protege Antonelli is being considered as a potential replacement for the seven-time F1 world champion, alongside George Russell, despite his...
Read more